Musk: Tesla solar can save you up to $1,000 a year

Last month, Elon Musk gushed that TSLA solar panels were “like having a money printer on your roof.” Musk made the bold claims while relaunching Tesla’s solar business.

According to the company’s website, you can rent solar power panels or solar roofs for as little as $50 a month. That cost includes installation and ongoing maintenance. And you’re not locked into a long-term contract.

However, if you want the panels removed, it would cost $1,500. Now Musk is backpedaling, saying Tesla will waive the removal fee for the remainder of September.

Tesla Solar has struggled under Musk

After leading the field for years, Tesla Solar started lagging behind its competition.

For the first quarter of 2019, Tesla sank to third place for solar installations in the United States, according to energy consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.

The top three residential solar installers combined accounted for 25% of all new U.S. residential capacity in the first quarter. That’s a dramatic collapse from Tesla’s peak, when it alone accounted for more than a third of the U.S. residential solar market.

The animosity between Einhorn and Musk has been brewing for years. In April 2019, Einhorn gloated that “the wheels are coming off ” at Tesla. At the time, Einhorn cheerfully chirped that Tesla was imploding.